Free the Water!
by RandomMasterTori
Summary: Someone somewhere requested a fan-fic to be written based off of the ending for Free!, so this came to mind... I tried to add a little story that stuck to the endings visuals, and this is what happened. Enjoy ! (If anyone has already done this request already, I apologize! I did not steal I swear!)


The young dark haired man stood atop the sandy dunes, eyes clouded by the dust that whipped into his deep oceanic eyes. He pulled his blue scarf over his dry mouth, trying to keep in what little moisture was left. Water... He needed water. His tired eyes gazed beyond the golden hills; another traveler he passed by earlier had said there was a small bazaar beyond the sandy horizon. He had hoped there'd be water there. Holding onto his camel's reigns, he trekked on through the brutal heat, trying to ignore the parchment on his lips.

The sun began to rise higher in the sky, causing the traveler to wince. It was only going to get hotter from here on. As he walked onward, the traveler tried to block out all distractions. He could not waste the precious amount of hydration he had left worrying about snakes or scorpions or... was that an animal's skeleton...? The young adult glanced over his shoulder to examine this strange animal quickly, noting that the skeleton had no legs. It was undoubtedly a sea creature of sorts. He gulped at the mere thought of the sea, of the precious water he yearned for. Noting that his mouth was beginning to dry out, not dissimilar to the desert, the blue-cladded nomad prayed that he would find water soon as he continued forward.

The blazing sun sat high above the sky now, and Haruka sighed in relief upon finally making it to the bazaar gates. For a small fee of two gold coins, the lightly garbed traveler was able to enter the small city-like place. Shockingly, it wasn't as crowded as he'd expected. He'd have thought that with the latest water shortage he'd heard of during his travels that more people would be here to get some water, this being the only place left with the sacred fluid. Knocking away a few suspicions, Haru pressed on to find a shop. Surely its keeper would have what he needed.

A sandy-brown haired merchant who was packing away some items happened to look up and see the man in the blue turban. He seemed to be looking for something. The shopkeeper noted the uncommon clothing Haru was sporting, knowing for sure that he wasn't from the city. He waved to get the traveler's attention from his shaded, halfway indoor shop. With no luck from his actions, the green claded merchant called out to him, "Ho, traveler!"

This caught Haru's attention. He swung his head towards the small somewhat-indoor shop and glanced almost emotionless at the shopkeeper. Somehow, though, the shopkeeper could see the hope he held in his dark eyes. The merchant gave a very welcoming smile, allowing Haru to approach at his own will.

"Is there anything you need, sir? Most of my finer wares are inside."

"Water..." Haru commanded.

The green-eyed merchant frowned sadly. "I-is that all?" He questioned, eyeing a dry ceramic pitcher. Haru noticed the shopkeeper look at the container.

"Do you have water in there?"

To show he was an honest man, one who'd never cheat a traveler out of his money, he held up the pitcher and turned it slightly upside down and shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not, sir. There has been a water shortage here recently, surely you have heard about it. Even this bazaar, once rich in the source has almost been sucked dry..." Haru's once hopeful eyes quickly faded. The merchant nervously chuckled, motioning for Haru to come closer. Haru obliged the man, thinking that there was more for him to say.

The merchant changed his tone, making it softer so only his customer could hear, "However, that's not exactly true… I'm not supposed to say this, but I've heard that someone here has been hording the scarce amount of water we have left… Selling it for huge sums of money," He smiled at Haru, "Of course, this is only a rumor I've heard from others… But if it'll help you…"

Haruka thanked the merchant with a slight bow of the head. "There's definatly water around", he thought, "And I will find it!" With hope now re-filled in his soul, he silently took off, wishing to ask others for more information.

Even though the traveler was far away by now, the merchant muttered "Good luck," and headed back into his store. He had to finish packing up so his family could move. Though it pained him, he had no choice. With no water left here, they had to leave in order to survive.


End file.
